Promises
by Dancingqueen4Life
Summary: Natasha has to focus on finding and saving Clint, while simultaneously keeping her promise to their daughter that she'll come home. Set during the Avengers movie. Part of my Brand New Year universe. It's only necessary to read that one to get to know the characters as i see them here. Rating may go up. Read and review!
1. Chapter 1

**I don't own any recognizable people or things.**

**So I know I have a story that's kind of like this already, but I wanted to do a different take on it. This is in the same universe as my story A Brand New Year. Although I'd like you to read that as well, it's only necessary to figure out the very basics of the characters.**

* * *

Natasha was sitting in a chair, listening to Luchkov talk. Well, sitting might not have been the best word, restrained was probably better.

But for as much as she knew she should be listening, Natasha couldn't force herself to focus entirely on what he was saying. She knew he was talking about the mission she'd been assigned to, and that he was giving her all the information about his "business". But she found her mind thinking back to her husband and daughter, and how much she _hated_ being back in Russia.

She was pulled completely form her thoughts when a phone rang, right on time by the looks of the wrench in the Luchkov's hands.

He walked over to her, and placed the phone to her ear.

_We need you to come in.  
_Phil. "Are you kidding? I'm working!"  
_This takes precedence.  
_"I'm in the middle of an interrogation, and this moron's giving me everything."  
"I not give everything."

Natasha just gave him a look, telling him that he was an idiot.

"Look you can't pull me out of this right now."  
_Tasha. Barton's been compromised._

Natasha's world stopped. Clint. Her partner. Her friend. Her husband. Emmy's father.

"Let me put you on hold."  
As soon as Luchkov took the phone away, she began fighting, taking out all her anger on the thugs in front of her.

When she was done and the men were unconscious, with Luchkov hanging upside down by a chain, she grabbed her shoes and the phone, bringing it up to her ear.

_Remember to stay calm, Romanoff._ She scolded herself.

"Where's Barton now?"  
_We don't know._  
"But he's alive?"  
_We think so. I'll brief you on everything when you get back. But first, we need you to talk to the big guy.  
_"Coulson. You know Stark trusts me about as far as he can throw me."  
_Oh, I've got Stark. You get the big guy._

Natasha nodded, even though Phil couldn't see her. She knew there was one more question she needed to ask, but she didn't know if she wanted to hear the answer. Finally, she decided to get it out of the way. "Phil?"  
_Yeah?_

"Where is she? Where's Emmy?"  
_She's fine, Natasha. When the New Mexico base was about to blow, I made sure she didn't leave my side. We were on the last truck out. She's sitting with Maria now.  
_"Don't tell her anything, please."  
_I wouldn't dream of it. Hurry up with the big guy, and get your butt home to your daughter.  
_"Will do, Coulson."

* * *

Calcutta was hot. That was the only descriptor Natasha felt was adequate. As she waited for the little girl to bring Banner back to the house she was in, Natasha's mind wandered to her daughter, hoping that she was safe. She snapped back to reality just before footsteps announced the arrival of the doctor and the little girl.

Natasha heard Bruce mutter something to himself, and stood up.

_Let's just get this over with._

* * *

The jet ride back to the hellicarrier seemed to take forever. Dr. Banner kept fidgeting, and it was starting to make Natasha uncomfortable. Normally she would have flown the jet, but there were already two pilots so she was sitting with Banner.

When they arrived at the carrier, Natasha wanted nothing more than to run and hold her daughter, but as soon as she stepped off the plane, another landed, and Coulson and Rogers stepped off.

"Agent Romanoff, Captain Rogers."  
"There was quite the buzz around here, finding you in the ice. I thought Coulson was gonna swoon. Did he ask you to sign his Captain America trading cards yet?"  
"Trading cards?"  
"They're vintage, he's very proud."

Rogers nodded, and went to talk to Banner. Natasha took the opportunity to pull out her cell phone.

She quickly texted Maria, _Is she with you?  
_The reply came a few seconds later, _I've got her. Come find me when you can._

Natasha sighed as she put her phone away. She made her way to Rogers and Banner and told them to come inside.

"Really? They want me in a submersed pressurized metal container?"  
Once the turbines began spinning, Banner laughed dryly. "Oh no, this is much worse."  
Natasha laughed internally at his comment, but didn't allow the laugh to escape her. She turned, and after directing the men on where to go, made her way through the halls until she found Maria.

"Hill!"  
Maria turned around, and smiled slightly as the red head ran toward her.

"Romanoff."  
"Where is she?"  
"She fell asleep, so I took her to your quarters."  
"Is she safe there?"  
"Of course. I wouldn't have put her anywhere where she might be in danger."

Natasha nodded, and turned away. "I'm going to see her. If Fury needs anything that isn't life or death, tell him to wait."  
Maria smiled at her friend and nodded, even though she couldn't see.

Natasha made her way to her quarters quickly. She entered the code and quietly slipped inside. After closing the door, she made her way to her bedroom, where she found Emmy curled into the fetal position, her favorite stuffed animal held tightly to her chest.

Natasha made her way to the edge of the bed, and sat down. She placed her hand on the girl's head, and gently ran it through her red curls. Emmy stirred and slowly opened her eyes. She rolled over so that she was in the same position, but facing her mother.

"Мама?"  
"Hey, Baby."  
Emmy sat up slowly, and crawled into Natasha's lap, nestling her head into her shoulder.

"What happened, Мама? Why did we have to leave? And where's Папа?"  
Natasha sighed and shifted on the bed so that she was resting against the headboard and Emmy was facing her.

"There's a lot I need to tell you, can you promise to be brave for me?"  
The 6 year-old looked up, eyes wide. She looked at her mother for a moment before nodding.

"Ok. You remember Папа's mission, don't you? And what he was guarding?"  
Emmy nodded again. "Ok. Well, a very bad man came and took it. He's not from Earth."  
"You mean he's an alien?"  
"Yeah. Anyway, he took it, and everyone had to come back here, because it wasn't safe to stay at the base."  
"Ok. But where's Папа?"  
Natasha sighed again. "Well, the alien-man did something, and now Папа can't come home, at least not for a little while."  
"You mean he's hurt?"  
"No. He's not hurt, it's just not safe for him to come home right now."  
"But he'll come home eventually, right?"  
"Yeah, he will."

Natasha pulled Emmy closer to her body and continued stroking her hair. Natasha had no idea how long she sat on the bed, but it couldn't have been very long. Eventually, the door opened again, and Natasha tensed. But as soon as she heard Phil's voice, she calmed.

"Bedroom, Phil."  
Phil appeared in the doorway seconds later, and smiled at Natasha and his goddaughter.

"They need you on the bridge."  
Natasha nodded, and as she moved to put Emmy back on the bed, the little girl tightened her grip around Natasha's neck.

"No!"  
"Em, I need to go."  
"No! You have to stay with me."  
"Em, we've talked about this before. You know that when Папа and I have to go to work, you can't come."  
"Мама, please! Please don't leave me alone."  
Natasha could tell that Emmy was close to tears. She looked at Phil, and smiled when he nodded slightly.

"Alright, Em. But if I have to leave, you can't come with me, alright? You'll stay with Maria."  
"Are you leaving?"  
"I really hope not."  
Emmy nodded in agreement. Natasha kissed her head again as she stood up. She shifted her daughter so that she was resting on her hip, with her head lying on Natasha's shoulder. As they passed Phil on their way out of the room, Phil reached out and laid a hand on Emmy's head.

When Natasha reached the door, she took a deep breath.

_This will be fun._

* * *

**There's the first chapter! I don't know how many more there will be, although it'll likely only be one or two, maybe three more chapters.  
Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

Natasha stepped into the hallway, and made her way to the bridge. Most of the agents didn't look twice as she walked by with Emmy, since they were used to her and Clint being together, and Emmy had spent quite a bit of time around various SHIELD bases.

Maria met her outside the door to the bridge.

"You want me to take her?"  
Natasha shook her head. "She won't leave me."  
Maria nodded, and opened the door for Natasha. Natasha took another deep breath before stepping inside. She was happy to note that Rogers was the only stranger in the room, and he was on the opposite side. She made her way to one of the computers, but was stopped when someone grabbed her arm. She turned around and found Fury standing beside her. He shook his head once, and held his arms out for Emmy. Natasha sighed and began handing her daughter over. Emmy struggled at first, but as soon as she realized that Fury was holding her, she calmed down.

Natasha made her way to the computer, just as it began beeping, telling her that Loki had been spotted.

"Rogers, you're up."  
The captain nodded, and with one look, Fury told Natasha that she was flying the plane. Natasha sighed, but nodded.

She took her daughter from Fury, and made her way from the room. They ended up in the training center, and Natasha set Emmy on her feet.

"Em?"  
"You're leaving, aren't you?"  
"Yeah. But I _promise _you, I will come back. And you know I don't generally do promises."  
"Only if you really promise."

Natasha smiled and held up her right pinky. Emmy smiled back as she linked pinkies with her mother.

"Is that good enough?"  
"Yeah."  
"Ok. Let's go find Maria. I want you to only stay with her, Phil, or Fury. You're not allowed to go back to our rooms, or anywhere else by yourself, do you understand?"  
"Yes."  
Natasha nodded once, and grabbed Emmy's hand. Together they left the training center and made their way through the halls, looking for Maria. They found her on the flight deck, and walked quickly toward her. Maria smiled at Emmy when they arrived, and lifted the girl off the floor.

"They're ready for you."  
Natasha nodded and made her way to her daughter.

"I meant what I said, Em."  
Emmy nodded, and Natasha pressed a kiss to her head. Then she turned away, and made her way to the waiting plane.

* * *

Stuttgart was a nightmare. Sure, they managed to get Loki, but Stark showed up, and Natasha _really_ didn't want to have to deal with him right now.

As soon as they landed, Natasha was off the plane. She ran until she found Fury on the bridge.

"You have him?"  
Natasha nodded. "Make sure that whichever path you choose to take him on, he goes nowhere near her."  
Fury nodded once, before speaking into his earpiece.

"Hill. Take the birdie to the nest."  
After Hill responded, Fury nodded to Natasha. She couldn't help the smile that crossed her face as she heard Fury's code.

"I'm going. But I'll be back in a bit."  
Fury nodded. He knew it was pointless to argue with Natasha when she was in her "mothering-mode" as it had once been called.

Natasha nodded once in acknowledgement, before turning and walking away.

She made her way to the nearest access point to the ventilation system, and entered. As she crawled through the vents, she quietly thanked Clint for forcing her to learn the vent system as well as she knew the hallways.

She continued climbing and turning, sliding her way through the vents. Finally, she pushed open a panel, and climbed out. She walked along the beams, following a path that no one but her, Clint, and Emmy had a prayer of following. Finally, she arrived at a platform where two people were seated.

"Hey."  
Emmy turned around and smiled at her mother. She stood up and ran carefully toward her, flinging her arms around Natasha's neck. Natasha lifted her daughter off the ground. She nodded to Maria, who smiled and left, via a much less confusing route.

Natasha made her way back to the edge of the platform, so that her feet hung off the edge. She shifted Emmy to a more comfortable position, never letting her out of her arms.

They sat in silence for a while, taking comfort in each other's presence.

"Мама?"  
"Yeah, Em?"  
"Did you get the alien-man?"  
"Yeah."  
"Does that mean Папа can come home now?"  
"Not yet."  
"When?"  
"I honestly don't know, Emmy. But I will bring him home."  
"It's not because of me, is it?"  
"Of course not! Why would you say something like that?"  
"I just wanted to know. Is it?"  
"No. The alien-man is the only person to blame. He did this to Папа. It's no one else's fault."

Emmy nodded, and leaned further into Natasha's chest.

After what felt like hours, Natasha's earpiece buzzed to life.

"Agent Romanoff. I've given you as much time as I can. Now we need you to report to the bridge."  
Natasha sighed. "Can I bring her?"  
"Yes."  
Natasha slid Emmy off her lap, and stood up, before helping her daughter up as well.

"Vents?"  
"Yeah."  
Natasha smiled as she led her daughter back to the vent opening and back through the vents. They emerged not far from the bridge, and found Maria waiting for them.

"Are you taking her in?"  
"Yeah. They're going to find out eventually."  
Maria nodded. Natasha lifted Emmy back onto her hip, brushing her curls out of her face. She nodded to Maria, and followed her onto the bridge.

Rogers was sitting at the table, across from Thor. Banner was standing slightly behind Rogers. Natasha pulled out a chair at the end of the table, and sat down, allowing Emmy to curl up in her lap.

The three men looked at her, but aside form mild shock, none of them registered the child on her lap.

As they were talking back and forth, waiting for Fury to enter, Natasha leaned down and whispered into her daughter's ear,

"I want you to stop listening as soon as Fury walks in, got it?"  
Emmy nodded once, and Natasha hugged her tightly.

* * *

Fury only came in for a moment, and left before the real conversation began. As always, Stark showed up late, and talking.

Phil gave Natasha a look that had her trying not to laugh. Emmy wasn't able to hold back her laugh, and the noise caused the billionaire to look at Natasha's lap at the smiling child.

"Whoa. Spidey, is that yours?"  
Natasha glared in response. Tony ignored her reaction, and began speaking, walking around and poking at things. Natasha rolled her eyes, and looked at Emmy.

"Ignore him." She whispered. Emmy smiled and nodded.

When Tony's spiel finally ended, Natasha stood and carried Emmy back to their quarters. She sent the 6-year-old to change into her pajamas, while she changed into her own. When they were dressed, they sat in the kitchen together, eating the peanut butter sandwiches Natasha had made.

When they were done, Natasha threw away the paper plates, and returned to her seat next to Emmy.

"You ready for bed?"  
"Yeah."  
"Come on. You can stay with me tonight."  
Emmy nodded, and Natasha lifted her from her seat and placed her on the floor. As they walked down the short hallway, Emmy slipped her hand into Natasha's, causing her mother to smile. When they entered Natasha's bedroom, they made their way to he bed, where Natasha turned back the covers, and they climbed in. Emmy scooted closer to her mother, and Natasha wrapped her arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer.

"I love you, Emmy."  
"I love you too, Мама."

Natasha kissed her head, and smiled as Emmy leaned in and rested her head on Natasha's shoulder, and promptly fell asleep. After a few minutes, Natasha followed her daughter into unconsciousness.

* * *

**Yay for chapter 2! Also, since it's 12:58 where I am as I write this, Happy New Year. I'll try to update some of my stories tomorrow, but I'll be slightly busy. I will update eventually though!  
Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**


	3. Chapter 3

The next day, Natasha decided to interrogate Loki. When she told Emmy what she was doing, the little girl was reluctant to let her mother go, but as soon as Natasha told her that it would help bring Clint home, Emmy nodded.

Natasha sent Emmy off to get dressed while she got breakfast ready. After they were done eating, Natasha took Emmy into the living room, where she sat her on the floor and began to braid her hair.

"Em, I swear you hair gets longer every day!"  
"That's because it does!"  
Natasha laughed, "well, then I supposed cutting it off wouldn't do any good, would it?"  
"Of course not, Мама!"

Natasha laughed with her daughter as she fishtailed her daughter's long red curls. When they were done, Natasha made sure Emmy had her stuffed tiger and scooped her up off the floor. As they headed to the door, Natasha kissed Emmy's head.

"I want you to stay with Maria or Phil today. If they tell you to do something, you do it without questioning them, ok?"  
"Ok."  
"And believe me, I'll know if you don't listen to them."  
Emmy giggled and nodded. As they stepped out of their quarters, Emmy rested her head on Natasha's shoulder and clutched her tiger tightly.

They wandered the halls for a moment, before they finally found Maria in the mess hall. Natasha decided to forego sitting in her and Clint's usual place, and went to sit with Maria instead.

"Hey."  
Maria looked up from her food. "Natasha! Are you guys actually going to eat in here today?"  
Natasha gave her a don't-be-stupid look, causing the other agent to laugh.

"I'm actually going to talk to Loki, and I was wondering if she could stay with you for the day."  
Maria smiled and nodded. "Of course!"  
"I already told her that she had to be with you or Coulson all day, unless I say so."  
"Well, I think we can arrange something."  
Natasha smiled as she placed Emmy on the chair next to Maria. As soon as she was out of her mother's arms, Emmy crawled out of the chair and squirmed her way onto Maria's lap, causing both agents to laugh.

"Thank you so much, Maria."  
"Don't worry about it. She likes learning how everything works."  
Natasha nodded, and crouched down to her daughter's level.

"I have to go, Em."  
"Bye." The little girl whispered.  
"Remember what I said, ok?"  
"Kay."  
Natasha kissed Emmy's forehead and whispered, "Я люблю тебя, Эмили." _'I love you, Emily.'  
_"Я тоже тебя люблю, Мама." _'I love you too, Мама'_

Natasha smiled once more at Maria, before turning and leaving the mess hall. By the time she reached the door, Natasha was gone, replaced by the Black Widow. She made her way efficiently through the halls, making sure her footsteps were inaudible by the time she reached the detention level.

She took a deep breath before opening the door, and stepping in. She was a few floors above Loki's cell, so she quietly swung from the railing, until she dropped to the floor, smirking when Loki didn't turn around.

He was pacing, and a millisecond after he paused, the smirk was gone, replaced with her usual blank mask.

"There are not many people that can sneak up on me."  
Natasha smirked again, making sure Loki couldn't see it. "But you figured I'd come."  
"After. After whatever tortures Fury can concoct, you would appear as a friend, as a balm. And I would cooperate."  
**"**I wanna know what you've done to Agent Barton."  
**"**I'd say I've expanded his mind."  
**"**And once you've won. Once you're king of the mountain. What happens to his mind?"  
**"**Is this love, Agent Romanoff?"  
**"**Love is for children. I owe him a debt." _He helped me become a child again.  
_"Tell me."  
**"**Before I worked for SHIELD, I uh...well, I made a name for myself. I have a very specific skillset. I didn't care who I used it for, or on. I got on SHIELD's radar in a bad way. Agent Barton was sent to kill me, he made a different call." _And then he made me love him.  
_"And what will you do if I vow to spare him?"  
"Not let you out."  
"Ah, no. But I like this. Your world in the balance, and you bargain for one man?"  
_He's more than just one man. _"Regime's fall everyday. I tend not to weep over that, I'm Russian, or I was."  
"And what are you now?"  
"It's really not that complicated. I've got red in my ledger; I'd like to wipe it out."  
"Can you? Can you wipe out that much red? Drakov's daughter? Sao Paulo? The hospital file? Barton told me everything. Your ledger is dripping, it's gushing red, and you think saving a man no more virtuous than yourself will change anything? This is the basest sentimentality. This is a child at prayer. Pathetic! You lie and kill in the service of liars and killers. You pretend to be separate, to have your own code, something that makes up for the horrors. But they are a part of you, and they will never go away. I won't touch Barton! Not until I make him kill you. Slowly, intimately, in every way he knows you fear. And then he'll wake just long enough to see his good work, and when he screams I'll split his skull!"

In all honesty, Natasha was expecting him to threaten her. But she wasn't expecting him to do _that_. She turned away, fighting tears as images flashed before her eyes, all the ways she'd told Clint that she feared would be her end.

"This is my bargain, you mewling quim!"  
"You're a monster." Natasha didn't have to work to put the tears in her voice, but she was dammed if she was going to let them fall.  
"Oh, no. You brought the monster."  
Natasha whipped around, forcing all her fears to the back of her mind for her to deal with later. "So, Banner? That's your play?"  
"What?"  
"Loki means to unleash the Hulk. Keep Banner in the lab, I'm on my way." Natasha said into her earpiece, before turning back to Loki.  
"Thank you, for your cooperation."

With that, Natasha turns and walks away. She manages to make it four steps before the need to hear Emmy's voice is overwhelming. She pulls out her phone, and punches in Maria's number.

_Hello?  
_"I need to talk to her."  
_Ok. One sec._

After some shuffling, Natasha heard her daughter's voice on the other side of the phone.

"Мама?"  
"Hey, baby."  
"What's wrong?"  
"Nothing, Em. I just wanted to talk to you."  
"Did you talk to the alien-man?"  
Natasha sighed. This was it, she'd have to think of something to say to keep Emmy from worrying, without giving her too much hope, just in case. "Yeah. I think I have an idea of how to help Папа."  
"Really?"  
"Yeah. Now I just need an opportunity for it to happen."  
"Ok."  
"I have to go, Emmy."  
"Really?"  
"Yeah. Remember, stay with Maria, no matter what."  
"Мама, you're scaring me."  
"I'm sorry, Emmy. It's nothing, I promise. I just don't want to worry about you getting lost in the vents again."  
"Мама! That happened once!"  
Natasha smiled, happy to get her daughter off topic. "Still, it doesn't need to happen again."  
"Fine, Мама. I'll stay with her."  
"Thank you."  
"I love you, Мама."  
"I love you too, Emmy."  
Natasha hung up, having finally arrived at Banner's lab.

When she entered, there was a slight argument going on, and she rolled her eyes internally.

After a particularly annoying comment form Stark, Natasha sighed quietly. Were Americans _always_ this stupid?

_You know the answer to that, Natasha _She thought.

She was pulled back into the conversation by Rogers confronting Stark.

"Big man in a suit of armor. Take that off, what are you?"  
"Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist."  
Natasha smirked slightly and raised her eyebrow in agreement. Her time as Natalie Rushman had taught her quite a bit about the sides of Tony Stark.

Amidst the arguing and people talking over each other, Natasha got a feeling. She didn't know what it was, but she knew that something bad was about to happen. And that somehow, Clint was involved.

Suddenly, something on the carrier exploded, and everyone was sent in different directions. Natasha's resolve crumpled for a moment as her body recognized the explosion as one caused by Clint's exploding arrows.

_God dammit, Clint._

She pushed her thoughts to the back of her mind, along with her fears for Emmy. If anything had happened to her daughter, Maria would have been on the earpiece immediately.

Natasha realized that she was lying, trapped by a pipe resting on her ankle, next to Banner, who was convulsing slightly, clearly having issues trying to control the Other Guy.

"Bruce, you gotta fight it. This is just what Loki wants. We're gonna be ok. Listen to me."  
The doctor stopped struggling, and tried to listen, and it made Natasha a bit more confident.

"We're gonna be ok, right? I swear on my life, I will get you out of this. You will walk away and never…"  
Banner turned to her suddenly, abandoning his fight with transforming. "Your life?"  
And then he was transformed, and coming at Natasha. She managed to finally pull her leg free, and began running from the Hulk.

She was hiding behind a large piece of equipment when he snuck up on her. After firing a few shots into a pipe by his head, she turned and sprinted. She could hear him approaching, and before she could process what it meant, the Hulk flung his arm out and sent her flying through the air, crashing into a wall. She managed to sit upright, but couldn't get herself to move anymore. As she was sitting in a corner, the Hulk came charging back at her. Before he managed to hit her again, Thor burst in and threw him through the wall.

Natasha heard the fights going on around her, but all she could think about was that her daughter was somewhere on the ship, likely unprotected, and there was a, for lack of a better term, ginormous green rage monster that was capable of doing real damage. Not to mention Clint who was also likely onboard. Natasha had no idea what would happen to their daughter if he came across her.

_Where is she, where is she, where is she, where is she, where is she, where is she?_

* * *

Maria was sitting with Emmy on the bridge when the explosion hit. The ship rocked and rattled, but aside form the shriek that left the little girl's mouth, there wasn't any major reaction.

Until Fury's voice was heard, asking if people were ok. And then they heard the different fights breaking out.

Fury came back to the bridge after a short time, and walked directly to Maria.

"Hill. Get her out of here. Now."  
Maria nodded once, and set Emmy on the floor. She gripped her hand tightly and began leading her from the room. Before they got very far, however, something was thrown at them. Maria recognized it in an instant.

"Grenade!" She yelled. She had a split second to think. She grabbed Emmy tightly around the waist, and jumped over the railing to her left, just as the grenade exploded. She made sure to rotate just enough to take the brunt of the fall, before rolling, still holding Emmy tightly.

When they were firmly on the ground, Maria popped up, and turned the girl to face her.

"Talk to me, Emmy."  
"Мама?"  
"No, sweetie. It's Maria."  
"What happened?"  
"Never mind that. Are you ok?"  
"Yeah."  
"Good."  
Maria grabbed her hand again and, staying as close to the ground as possible, pulled her to a corner below where the enemies were coming in.

"Stay here. Don't move a muscle."  
"Ok."  
Emmy sank into the corner, pulling her knees into her chest and holding her tiger close to her heart.

Maria spared a glance at the little girl. She knew Natasha and Clint had been training her, more as a precaution than anything else, and was impressed with her ability to take orders.

"You might want to cover your ears and close your eyes, Em."  
Emmy looked up at Maria, a clear question in her eyes.

"I'll tap your nose three times when I want your attention."  
Emmy nodded once, before squishing her eyes closed and plugging her ears.

Maria began taking down enemies, checking every 3 shots to make sure Emmy was ok.

After some time, an arrow sliced through the air, and stuck itself in one of the computers. Maria looked up, and was grateful that Clint was right above them. It made it much harder for him to see Emmy, and for Emmy to see him.

As she crouched down next to the little girl, she heard Fury over comms.

"It's Barton. He took out our systems. He's heading to the detention level. Does anybody copy?"  
_This is Agent Romanoff. I copy._

It was the last, but only, voice she wanted to hear in response. She knew Natasha wouldn't kill him, not if there was a chance she could save him. But Maria also knew that Clint could seriously hurt Natasha while she was looking for a way to save him.

After about 5 minutes, people stopped pouring onto the bridge. Maria stood up cautiously and looked around. She locked eyes with Fury, then Coulson. They both nodded, and she reciprocated. She crouched back down and tapped Emmy's nose, just as she'd said she would.

When Emmy opened her eyes, Maria smiled at her and held out her arms.

"We're gonna play hide and seek in the vents."  
"With who?"  
"I think Phil's going to come with us."  
Emmy nodded and allowed Maria to pick her up. Emmy pretended not to notice that the way Maria was holding her wasn't normal. The way Phil walked with them wasn't normal either. They were both poised to block any potential bullets or other weapons that may be heading toward the girl in Maria's arms.

They made it to the vent access point quickly, and Maria ushered Emmy in, before following close behind. Phil closed the grate behind Maria, and told her that he'd meet her above his office. Maria nodded and told Emmy to start moving. Together they crawled through the ventilation system, being as quiet as possible.

The entire way, Maria couldn't help but pray that Clint wouldn't be using the vents. She really didn't want to think about how that would end.

* * *

Natasha grunted as she fought Clint. They sparred frequently, but this felt different. It felt like Clint legitimately wanted to kill her, while at the same time he seemed reluctant to do any real damage.

She finally managed to get the upper hand, and knocked his head into the railing.

"Tasha?"  
Natasha paused for a moment, before punching him solidly in the head.

* * *

Natasha watched as two medics half dragged, half carried Clint to a private room in the infirmary. As she followed behind them, she pressed her and to the earpiece.

"Maria?"  
"I've got her. We're both ok. Hold on."  
There was static for a moment, before a different voice spoke.

"Мама?"  
"Hi."  
"What happened?"  
"Lots of crap, Em."  
She heard a soft giggle in response.

"Did you get him back?"  
"I think so. Stay where you are, and then you can come see in a little bit, ok?"  
"Ok. We're playing hide and seek, so I can't tell you where we are. Cause Phil might over hear, and then he'd win."  
Natasha smiled. "Well, we don't want that, do we?"  
"No!"  
"Ok, then give Maria back her earpiece and stay quiet."  
"Kay."  
Natasha smiled as the static reemerged.

"Natasha?"  
"Thanks, Maria."  
"Don't worry about it. Let me know when you want me to bring her."  
"Will do."  
Natasha followed the medics into the room and watched as they placed Clint on the bed.

"Do you want us to…"  
"No. Get out."  
She knew she probably scared them, but she didn't care. When they'd gone, she made her way to the bed, and sat next to Clint's knees. She gently took his left hand in hers, and kissed his ring finger. She stroked his hand softly, before placing it gently into the wrist restraints. She buckled them, being careful not to do them too tightly.

She repeated the motion wit his right hand, kissing his palm instead of his finger. When he was completely restrained, Natasha moved back to the chair opposite the bed, and began waiting. Before long, Clint started coming to.

"Clint, You're gonna be alright."  
"You know that? Is that what you know? I've got no window to flush him out."  
"You need to level out, it's gonna take time." She stood and made her way to the water pitcher. It seemed that he was back to himself, which meant she could have Emmy come in soon.

"I don't understand. Have you ever had someone take your brain and play? Pull you out and send something else in? Do you know what it's like to be unmade?"

Natasha froze for a fraction of a second. For a moment she thought he'd forgotten everything she'd told him, but then she saw his reaction to his own question, and knew that he'd be ok. "You know that I do.

"Why am I back? How did you get him out?"  
"Cognitive recalibration I hit you really hard in the head."  
**"**Thanks."

Natasha made her way back to the bed, and sat next to him. she reached over and began undoing the restraints.

"Tasha, how many agents did I…?"  
"Don't. Don't do that to yourself, Clint. This is Loki. This is monsters and magic and nothing we were ever trained for."  
"Loki, he get away?"  
"Yeah. I don't suppose you know where?"  
"I didn't need to know. I didn't ask. He's gonna make his play soon though. Today."

Natasha stood and made her way to the door. She looked out the window, and saw that there weren't too many people in the hall. She discretely pressed her hand to her earpiece.

"Bring her in."  
_You got it._

"We gotta stop him." Natasha stated, returning to her conversation with Clint.  
"Yeah? Who's we?"  
"I don't know. Who's ever left."  
"Well, if I put an arrow in Loki's eye socket, I'd sleep better I suppose."  
Natasha smirked as she sat next to him, close enough to feel his body heat, but not close enough to touch. "Now you sound like you."  
"But you don't. You're a spy, not a soldier. Now you want to wade into a war. Why? What did Loki do to you?"  
"He didn't, I just..." _I can't get the pictures out of my head.  
_"Tash."  
"I've been compromised. I got red in my ledger, I'd like to wipe it out."

Clint nodded, seeming to know what she meant.

He reached out and gently placed his hand on her knee. A few seconds later, the door opened, and Emmy came running in.

"Папа!"  
Clint looked up. He couldn't help the smile that crossed his face when he saw his daughter running toward him. He opened his arms, and the little girl ran into him. Clint pulled her onto his lap and shifted her so that she was sitting comfortably facing Natasha.

"Hi, Emmy. I missed you."  
"I missed you too, Папа."  
Clint looked at Natasha. She nodded slightly, and Clint began talking.

"Emmy, I need to tell you some things. I want to be the one to tell you, so that you don't hear it from someone else."  
"Ok. Is it about the alien-man?"  
"Yeah. He did something to me, and it made me a bad guy, just for a little while."  
"But you're better now, right?"  
"Yes. Мама saved me, like she always does."  
"Good job, Мама."  
Natasha smiled in response as Clint continued. "But while I was a bad guy, I did some bad things. I hurt some people, even though I didn't want to. Loki, the alien-man, made me do the things he wanted done. And I couldn't stop him."  
"Did you 'pologize?"  
"Not yet. I just got fixed."  
"Well, when you're done getting fixed, you need to 'pologize. That way, people know you didn't mean to do it."  
Clint smiled at Emmy's simplistic view of the world. "Thanks, Em."  
Emmy nodded. "Welcome."  
They drifted into silence then, content to be in each other's company again.

Clint got up for a moment to use the bathroom, and while he was in the bathroom, the door opened some time later, and Rogers was standing in the doorway. He smiled at Emmy, before addressing Natasha, who had stood up and started getting ready to leave.

"Time to go."  
"Go where?"  
"I'll explain on the way. Can you fly one of those jets?"  
Clint opened the bathroom door then, wiping his hands on a towel. "I can."  
Rogers shot a look at Natasha, his question clear. Natasha nodded once, firm in her answer.

"You got a suit?" Rogers asked Clint.  
"Yeah."  
"Then suit up."

Rogers left the room then, giving them a few moments together.

"Мама and Папа are leaving, aren't you?"  
"We have to, Em." Natasha told her.

Clint reentered the room after changing into his uniform. He walked to his daughter and crouched down to her level.

"We have to go finish fighting the alien-man."  
"I thought you got him?"  
"We did, but he tricked us. But we won't be tricked this time."  
"Can I come?"  
"No."  
"Please?"  
Clint looked over her head to Natasha. She shook her head firmly, not wanting to put her in any danger. But Clint persisted. Finally Natasha nodded.

"Fine."  
"There are rules though."  
"I know. I stay on the jet. Don't make a sound."  
"And you put on your suit, along with your vest."  
"Do I get my bow?"  
Clint smiled at her eagerness.  
"Yes. But you only use it if something comes to you."  
"Kay."  
Clint stood up and pulled Emmy into his arms. They left the room together, heading to their assigned quarters.

They ran into Maria on the way there, and after filling her in on the plan, and ignoring her eye roll, they bid her farewell.

When they entered their quarters, they made their way to what served as Emmy's room when they had to stay on the carrier and pulled her suit out of the closet.

It was a mix of Natasha and Clint's suits. It fit her like Natasha's, covering every inch of her body in tight material. There was a belt that held smoke bombs, pepper spray, and something Emmy could stretch out like a mini rope. She had her own widow's bites, with the same potency as Natasha's.

But she also had arm and finger guards for when she used her bow. Emmy grabbed her bow, while Natasha made sure her quiver was full, and her special arrowheads were where they should be. She had regular tips and a few exploding tips, and a single grappling tip, but that was only to be used in an emergency.

While to anyone else it might seem strange, and downright irresponsible, for them to allow her to come with them to fight Loki. But they'd been training her since she was 3, and she had been just as natural as her parents in both hand to hand and with a bow. She didn't use guns yet, she wasn't allowed until she was 10, but she didn't really need them. Her aim was as good as Clint's; it just took her longer to line up her shots. And she was even smaller and more flexible than Natasha, which allowed her to easily slip out of tight situations.

When they were satisfied, they left their quarters, and walked down the halls together.

Emmy reached out and grabbed her parents' hands in her own as the walked onto the landing strip. She squeezed both their hands, and smiled when they squeezed back.

* * *

**Yay for new chapters! Please don't hate me for having her go with them. I wasn't really intending to, it just kind of happened, so I went with it.  
Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**


	4. Chapter 4

Steve gave them a look when they walked onto the plane, Emmy's hands still clasped in their own.

"Um…"  
"Captain Rogers, this is Emily. She's nearly 7, she's sneaky, she's tough, and she's our daughter." Clint stated, doing his best to ignore the slightly shocked look on Rogers' face.  
"Hello, Emily."  
"Hi. Мама and Папа said I could come. They let me sometimes, when it's easy."  
"I hate to tell you, Emily, but this won't be easy."  
"I know."

Rogers looked at Natasha. She could see the surprise in his eyes, no doubt he wasn't expecting an almost 7 year-old to be that articulate.

"Well, if your parents are ok with it, then take a seat."  
Emmy nodded, and sat down, strapping herself in. She ignored the captain's comments to whoever had been on the plane before they entered, more focused on ensuring that her knife was secure on her ankle.

"Em, where did you get that?"  
"You gave it to me, Папа."  
"Oh? When?"  
"Last Christmas. Then you and Мама taught me how to use it."  
Clint looked confused, and turned to Natasha. "Did we really?"  
"Yeah. She was asking nearly every day. She's actually pretty god with it, when she remembers that she has it."  
All conversation ended there. Rogers took the seat next to her, while both her parents got into the pilot seats.

A few minutes after the flight began, Rogers broke the silence.  
"So, Emily, when are you turning 7?"  
"5 days. You can call me Emmy, or Em, if you'd like. Everyone else does."  
Rogers nodded. "I will. My name's Steve."  
"How old are you?"  
"Emily." Natasha hissed.  
"What?"  
"It's fine." Steve answered. "I'm certainly not 7. I was born a long time ago, but I was frozen for a while."  
"I know. Мама told me about it."  
"She did?"  
"Yeah. Probably because Phil wouldn't stop talking about it."

Her response got a laugh out of everyone on the plane. Conversation lulled for a moment, before Natasha told Stark where they were.

"What, did you stop for drive trough?"  
Emmy laughed softly, and Steve winked at her.

Natasha began shooting, while Clint continued flying. The engine on the right was taken out, and they started falling toward the ground. As soon as they hit the ground, everyone was out of their seats, getting ready to leave. Natasha stopped in front of her daughter, and looked at her seriously.

"Alright, here's what we're going to do. You're going to stay here, in the plane. You know where your hideout is; use it if the alien-man comes anywhere near here. You have your earpiece, right?"  
"Yes."  
"Good. Put it in, and make sure it's on. I want to hear you say something every 5 minutes. If someone or something comes onto the plane, and you can't say anything, don't. Push the blue button on your bow, and it'll make Папа's bow buzz slightly, without ruing a shot. He'll call your name, and if you don't respond within 5 seconds, one of us will come find you."  
"Ok."  
"You have all your things?"  
"Yep."  
"Ok. Vest on. I don't need to worry about you getting shot."  
"Gee, thanks, Мама."

Natasha smiled as she zipped Emmy's vest. When she was done, she kissed her daughter's temple and hugged her tightly. Steve squeezed her shoulder lightly on his way to the door. Clint came to her last, and knelt before her. He kissed her cheek and tapped her nose, before reaching into his quiver. He pulled out an arrow at the same time that Emmy pulled out one of her own. They kissed the tips of their arrows, and traded them. Clint placed his in his quiver while Emmy did the same.

Finally, Clint spoke. "Last resort, Em."  
"Don't let it get that far, Папа." She responded.

Clint smiled at her and stood up, making his way to Natasha and Steve.  
Together, they walked out of the plane, and into the chaos that was Manhattan.

* * *

_I'm bored._

Natasha smiled when she heard Emmy's first check in.

"Your life must suck."  
A sigh was her only response. She managed to catch Clint's eye, and caught the smile on his face before shooting a Chitauri in the face.

* * *

The fighting continued, with more aliens seeming to pour from the portal. Just as one of Clint's arrows landed in one of the alien's eye sockets, she heard an excited squeal from her earpiece.

"Em?"  
_I got one! I didn't leave don't worry._

Natasha cracked a smile, but it was gone in the same instant when some sort of giant space whale thing came through the portal.

"Shit" she breathed.

She kept her focus on the fight in front of her, breathing a small sigh of relief every time she heard Emmy's voice. She and Clint were using cars as a refuge when a thought struck her.

"It's just like Budapest all over again."  
Clint looked at her. "You and I remember Budapest very differently."  
Natasha spared a split second smile while Emmy started laughing.

* * *

They were spared a bit of a break while Stark focused on the space whale. Clint used his time to collect as many arrows as he could get to, while Natasha made sure her guns were fully loaded.

"Em?"  
_It hasn't been 5 minutes.  
_"Just checking."

She was pulled from any further comments, and Clint was pulled from his thoughts about shooting Loki in the eye, when a motorcycle appeared, and Dr. Banner arrived.

"Tell him to suit up. I'm bringing the party to you guys."  
"I don't see how that's a party." Natasha said, more to herself than anyone else, really.

As the space whale came closer, Steve called out to Banner.

"Dr. Banner, now might be a good time to get angry."  
"That's my secret, Cap. I'm always angry." Before their eyes, he hulked out, much less painfully it seemed.

_That was so cool._

Natasha glanced at Clint, both with the same question in their eyes. How did she see that?  
"Em?"  
_Yeah?  
_"Where are you?"  
"Right behind you."

Natasha turned around to find their daughter standing before them, a smile on her lips.

"Emily Jane Barton, what the hell are you doing?" Clint asked, furious.  
Emmy shrugged. "I got bored."  
"Emily, that was not a part of the deal."  
"Fine. I'm here because the alien-man made the plane explode."  
"What?!" Natasha shrieked.  
"He threw something with a timer. I tried to turn it off, but I'd never seen one like it. So I got out of the plane."

Natasha ran her eyes over Emmy's body, sighing with relief when she didn't see any obvious injuries. Before anything else could happen, Stark was shooting a mini rocket at the space whale, and Steve barely got his shield up in time to cover himself and Natasha, who was covering Emmy.

When she was sure that all the alien guts were done falling, Natasha straightened up, allowing Emmy to do the same. There was an awful noise, a mix between screeching and wailing.

That was when even more things started coming through the portal. There were multiple space whales and more than a few Chitauri.

"Guys." Natasha calls. By now they've formed a sort of circle, unconsciously placing Emmy in the middle, and had their various weapons aimed at the creatures.

"Call it, Cap."  
"Alright, listen up. Until we can close that portal up there, our priority is containment. Barton, I want you on that roof, eyes on everything. Call out patterns and strays."  
Natasha leaned in and whispered into Clint's ear, "Take Em with you. She'll be another set of eyes, and she'll be with one of us."  
Clint nodded, and motioned for his daughter to come to his side, not missing the subtle nod from Steve and Stark.

"Stark, you got the perimeter. Anything gets more than three blocks out, you turn it back or your turn it to ash." Steve continued.  
"Wanna give us a lift?" Clint asked Stark.  
"Right. Better clench up, Legolas, Merida."

Clint nodded once, and lifted Emmy into his arms. They both tensed up, and Stark flew them to the rooftop Steve had pointed out. He made sure they were solidly on the ground before nodding once leaving to start attacking aliens.

* * *

Immediately, Clint jumped onto the ledge, and began looking.

"Emily, stay off the ledge. Got it?"  
"Yes." She was used to this. She'd been training for a few years and was used to her father using her given name during training, and the few missions she'd been on.

"Tell me what you see."  
"What?"  
Clint turned to look at her then. He could see the slight fear in her eyes. This was beyond anything she'd ever done in training, and any missions she'd ever seen.

"Just like training, Emily."  
Emmy nodded once. "Ok."  
"Ok. Now tell me what you see."  
Emmy moved carefully to the ledge, without actually stepping onto it. "I see aliens."  
"Emily."  
"Sorry. Um, three whale things heading down Broadway. The smaller aliens are going everywhere, attacking everyone on the ground, and following Stark."  
_That's Tony to you, Miss._ Was the response from the billionaire over her earpiece.  
"What are you noticing?"  
"They can't do sharp turns."  
"Bingo." Clint smiled as he tapped her nose.  
"Stark, find a tight corner. These things can't bank worth a damn."  
_I will Roger that.  
_"Bow ready, Emily."

Emmy nodded, and snapped her bow open, nocking an arrow immediately. She locked onto one of the Chitauri ships.

Emmy began whispering her pre-shot mantra. "Breathe in. Breathe out. Pull back. Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in."  
She paused and smiled slightly. "Breathe out." She whispered.  
A second later, the last bit fell into place. "Fly." And she released her arrow, hitting the alien driving the ship exactly in the eye, causing the ship to fall from the sky.

"Nice job, Emily."  
Emmy looked at her father, and smiled when he shot over his shoulder, taking down another ship without even looking. Those were always her favorite shots.

Emmy quickly nocked another arrow and was about to let it fly without assuring a hit when her father called to her.

"Emily."  
She looked up.  
"It's not a race. This is the one part that's not like training. You can't just walk over and get more arrows. Make these ones count."  
"Sorry."  
"Don't apologize. Just make sure you breathe and make your arrows matter."  
Emmy nodded once, before returning to shooting.

She managed to speed up slightly, still hitting her targets dead on.

* * *

They kept going for what felt like forever. She knew she was running low on arrows, having missed a few shots. She was back to her usual length of time to shoot, not wanting to waste any more.

Adrenalin was coursing through her system, and she found that she quite enjoyed the sensation.

"Nat, what are you doing?"  
Emmy looked in the direction her father was focused on, and her eyes could just make out the shape of her mother clutching to one of the aliens, hanging on for dear life as the ship swerved all over the place.

"Uh, a little help please!"  
Emmy raised her bow, but a firm hand on her shoulder had her looking up at her father shaking his head. She nodded, and lowered the weapon. Clint attached an exploding tip to the arrow, and nocked it in his bow.

"I got him."  
He breathed in, centering himself, before releasing the arrow as he exhaled.

She saw Loki grab the arrow just as it was about to hit his neck. She was disappointed for just a second, when Clint hit a button on his bow, and the tip exploded, sending Loki tumbling off his ship.

She noticed that a few were climbing up the building, so she called out to Clint.

"Папа!"  
"I see them, Emily."  
Without really thinking, Emmy grabbed her knife out of the ankle holder she had, and stuck it in the skull of the alien closest to her. It died instantly, falling back to the ground.

Clint looked behind him, and saw a huge group of them coming. He was on his last arrow, the one Emmy had traded with him earlier.

Emmy.

He had to get his daughter off the roof. He had an idea, but it was reckless and slightly dangerous, and would likely get himself hurt while protecting her.

_Natasha's going to hate me for this._ He thought as he called his daughter.

"Emily!"  
She turned and went to his side immediately. He held out the shaft of the arrow, and without a word, Emmy kissed it.

Clint placed it back into his quiver and clicked a button, attaching a grappling tip to the shaft of the arrow. He nocked it, and jumped onto the ledge, gesturing for his daughter to follow.

Once she was standing next to him, Clint lifted her so she was clinging to his front, arms and legs wrapped securely around his waist and neck.

He hugged her for a second and whispered into her ear.

"Do NOT let go."  
After her quick nod, Clint kissed her head, and jumped.

He turned himself, firing the arrow into the ledge they'd been standing on, just as the Chitauri arrived. He angled his body again so that he'd swing into the offices below. He managed to turn just enough for his back to break the glass, preventing Emmy from getting any extra glass in her skin.

He let go of the rope at just the right time to land and roll, keeping his body under Emmy's as much as he could. He landed on his back, all the air leaving his body. Emmy's arms and legs finally gave out, and she slipped off his chest and rolled next to him.  
They laid there, both grimacing in pain, having both unintentionally landed on their quivers, and in Emmy's case, her bow.  
_Fuck. That's going to hurt._ Clint thought as he fought hard not to black out.

* * *

**Yay for updates! Hope you guys liked this chapter. I know not everything is the same as it is in the movies, but a few things had to change for Emmy to fit. I know you're probably thinking that it's stupid of me to have an almost 7-year-old fighting in the battle, and for her parents to have taken her on missions, but I did. And just to clarify, the missions she went on had her staying on the jet with Phil, and they were always recon. While a few people may have died, her parents were never seriously hurt, and she was never in any real danger.  
I know there's an actual name for the giant aliens, but I prefer the term 'space whales.' It just sounds cooler, and not as gross.  
Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**


	5. Chapter 5

**Two updates in the same day, I must really like you guys. ;)**

* * *

Emmy was sore.

_It's probably from training. Falling off the beam isn't fun._ She thought to herself. She looked around and noticed all the glass surrounding her and her father.  
_Might also be because of the window we went through._

Emmy heard Clint groan next to her, and she looked at him, worried.  
"Папа?"  
"I'm ok, Emily."  
Emmy nodded, and decided that since her dad wasn't getting up, she didn't need to either.

She heard voices and was worried that someone was coming for them, until she remembered that her earpiece was still on. She focused on the voices and managed to listen to the last of the conversation.

"Close it." Steve said.

Emmy had no idea what he was talking about, but at that moment she didn't particularly care.

There was silence for a few moments, before she saw one of the space whales fall past the window and listened as it crashed onto the pavement below.

"Sun of a gun." Steve whispered.

Emmy lifted her eyes to her father, and saw that he was just as confused as she was.

There was a loud noise, and then Tony was back on the comms, talking constantly about time off and shwarma.

She was about to close her eyes, despite all her parents warnings that if she was ever in the field she wasn't allowed to close her eyes, when she heard a voice over the earpiece.

_Clint! Emily! Where the hell are you guys?_  
Clint groaned in response, most of the air still gone from his body.

_That was extremely helpful. Emily?  
_"Office building. 6 floors from the top."  
_I'm gonna need a little more than that, Sweetie.  
_"Same building we were on. Gray. Top part got blown off."  
_Ok, I see it._

Emmy smiled at her mother's response. She knew she'd be there soon, so she fought to sit up, having just realized that she was still lying down.

"Папа, Мама is coming, don't worry."  
Clint groaned again, and Emmy was afraid to touch him.

Finally, she heard footsteps, and someone calling her name.

"In here, Мама!"  
Natasha rounded the corner, and smiled when she saw her daughter. She ran forward and gave Emmy a hug before turning to her husband.

"Nice going, bird brain."  
Emmy smiled at the nickname that was reserved only for when he did something stupid.

"It's not totally his fault. They were coming, and it was the only way off the roof."  
"That doesn't mean it wasn't stupid."  
Clint sighed and nodded his head. "Very stupid." He muttered.  
Natasha gave him a look. "Mockery isn't going to help."  
Clint sighed again. "Sorry."  
"I bet you are."

Clint was prevented from saying anything else when Tony's voice came over comms.

_Oi, love birds and their kid, get back to the street. We're going to get food._

Natasha rolled her eyes. "He just flew a nuke into _space_, and he's still annoying."  
Clint looked at her, eyes wide. Natasha noticed, and shrugged. She stood up, and helped Clint up as well. His knee buckled underneath his weight, and he hissed in pain.

"Что это такое?"_ 'What is it?'  
_"колена." _'Knee.'  
_"дислоцированных?" _'Dislocated?'  
_"Возможно." _'Probably.'  
_"Ты можешь идти?" _'Can you walk?'  
_"Может быть?" _'Maybe?'_

Natasha glared at him; he thought for a moment, and nodded. She looked skeptically at him when he hissed as he placed his weight on his knee, but didn't comment. She could guess his motives well enough.

"Come on, Emmy."  
Emmy nodded, and started getting up. As soon as she put weight on her right ankle though, she collapsed. Natasha managed to catch her before she hit the ground, a look of worry clear in her eyes.

"What is it?"  
"My ankle."  
"Which one?"  
"Right."  
"Sit."

Emmy complied, and sat down, allowing her mother access to her ankle.

"Does this hurt?"  
"Yes."  
"This?"  
Emmy couldn't speak, so she nodded, tears streaming down her face. Natasha leaned in and kissed her cheek before continuing to look at her ankle. Both Clint and Natasha had had plenty of practice with field medicine, often choosing to tend to each other's injuries instead of letting someone else take care of it.

"I hate to tell you, Em, but your ankle looks broken."  
"It hurts." Emmy whimpered. Normally, she would have put on a brave face and tried to walk, but good _god_ her ankle hurt.  
"I know, Em. We'll get you fixed, ok?"

Emmy nodded, wiping the tears from her face.

"Do you want to eat first, or get your ankle fixed?"  
Emmy considered. It had been a while since she'd eaten, since breakfast actually, and she was hungry.

"Food." She whispered.

Natasha nodded, and stood up before turning to Clint.

"Sit in the chair. You're going to have to walk, and you're not doing it when your knee isn't in place."  
Clint nodded, hopping over to the chair she'd gestured to. Natasha followed and knelt on the ground in front of him. She carefully rolled up his pant leg, and had to keep herself from flinching when she saw his knee.

It was swollen, incredibly so, and a nasty purpleish-black color.  
Natasha took a deep breath, blocking out the part of her that knew this would hurt him. She softly pressed her lips to his knee, just ash she did for any dislocations he encountered.

"On four?" She asked.

He nodded, and Natasha began counting.

"One." She braced her hands.  
"Two." She popped his knee back in place.  
"Siktir! Tasha Siktir. Bu dört değildi!" _'Fuck! Fuck you, Tasha. That wasn't four!_'  
"Don't be a baby, Clint."

Clint glared at her in response.

Natasha smiled and kissed his knee again before standing up and holding her hand out for him. He took it, and pulled himself up. They made their way back to Emmy and Natasha picked her up off the ground and settled her on her hip. Together, they made their way down the stairs, and onto the chaotic streets of Manhattan. They walked a single block, and found the rest of the Avengers coming toward them. They all nodded in greeting, before following Tony to the shwarma restaurant.

They ate in relative silence, either too tired to converse, or too caught up in the severity of what just happened to make an attempt. The only exceptions were Clint, Natasha, and Emmy. But their conversation was silent, so it didn't really count.

Emmy was sitting on Natasha's lap, while Clint had elevated his leg on the chair behind her, trying to reduce some of the swelling and pain.

* * *

When they were done eating, Tony invited them all to stay at his tower for the time being, since SHIELD wasn't allowing them to leave until Loki was taken care of.

Natasha lifted Emmy onto her hip, wincing slightly as her injuries made the little girl seem even heavier. Thor noticed and began to offer to carry the child, but Tony stopped him and shook his head. He'd been around Natasha enough to know that she was extremely possessive and overprotective, traits that had been visible even while she was Natalie Rushman.

They finally arrived at the Tower, and Natasha would have smirked at everyone's reactions to JARVIS if she hadn't been so damn tired.

"There are plenty of extra bedrooms on the floor, so feel free to pick one. Help yourselves to anything. If you need help or something like that, just let JARVIS know."

With that, Tony left, presumably to try calling Pepper.

Natasha led Clint to the bedroom that was the furthest from the main area. Once they were inside, Clint dropped onto the bed, exhaustion taking over. Natasha placed Emmy on the bed next to him, and went to the adjoined bathroom to look for a first aid kit. She returned moments later and set the white box on the bed. She went to the closet and was surprised to find both women's and men's clothing in various sizes. She grabbed a pair of boxers, two tank tops, and two pairs of shorts, along with an extra shirt.

She helped Emmy out of her suit, and gave her one of the pairs of shorts and one of the tank tops and helped her pull them on, slightly surprised that Tony would have clothes that could fit a child. She allowed Emmy to get some sleep while she changed and helped Clint out of his suit and into the boxers, knowing that anything else would hurt his back too much.

When they were all in more comfortable clothes, Natasha got to work on Clint.

She removed the gauze from the kit and, after making sure it was still in place, began to tightly wrap his knee, preventing it from moving out of place again. Then she had him roll over so he was lying on the bed, with his head turned toward Emmy's peaceful face.

Natasha spread a bit of numbing cream on the worst of his back, and began digging out the shards of glass still embedded in his flesh. When she was done, she poured some hydrogen peroxide on a piece of gauze, and ran it over all of the cuts, whispering apologies when he flinched.

When she was done, she stood and left the room, returning moments later with some ice, which she carefully placed under his injured knee.

"What about you?"  
"I'm ok. Just a few scrapes."  
"Tash."  
"I'm serious, Clint. Anything major is already being fixed. I heal quicker than you, remember?"  
"I know."  
"And so does Emmy for that matter. So I'm going to take her to Dr. Banner and see if he can do anything for her. Are you ok on your own?"  
"Yeah."  
Natasha smiled as she kissed his lips softly.

"Emmy." Natasha whispered, shaking the girl's shoulders slightly.  
"Hmm?"  
"I need you to wake up for a little bit. We're going to get your ankle looked at."  
"Kay."

Natasha pulled her off the bed and carried her from the room.

"JARVIS, where is Dr. Banner?"  
"He's two doors away, on your left."  
"Thank you."  
Natasha made her way to the door, and knocked softly, hoping he'd still be awake.

She was in luck. The door opened a few seconds later, and Dr. Banner seemed very awake.

"Agent Romanoff."  
"Hello Dr. Banner."  
"Can I help you with something?"  
"Actually yes."  
He moved aside and gestured for her to enter. She did, still holding Emmy tightly. If she was being completely honest, while she liked Dr. Banner, the Hulk scared her, and she was nervous about letting Emmy get too close.

"How can I help?"  
"I think her ankle is broken."  
The doctor nodded and opened his mouth to speak.

"I know you're not a medical doctor, but I figured that you'd still be able to help."  
"I'll see what I can do."  
"Thank you."  
He led them into the adjoined bathroom and motioned for Natasha to set Emmy on the counter.

"Hello."  
"Hi." Emmy whispered.  
Bruce smiled at her, doing his best not to scare her. "What's your name?"  
"Emmy."  
"That's a very pretty name."  
"Thanks."  
"My name's Dr. Banner, but you can call me Bruce, if you'd like."  
Emmy nodded, and Bruce smiled at her again. "Can I look at your ankle?"  
In response, Emmy held out her injured ankle. It had swollen and turned a nasty color.

"This might hurt just a little bit."  
Emmy grabbed Natasha's hand, and nodded. Bruce began gently prodding her ankle, feeling for any broken bones. He thought he felt one, but without x-rays, it was impossible to know for sure.

"Well, I think it's broken, but she'll need x-rays to know where exactly. I can't do a cast here, but I can wrap it enough for it to be ok tonight."  
"Thank you."  
Bruce nodded, and set about wrapping up Emmy's ankle. When he was done, Natasha lifted her from the counter, and carried her back into the bedroom.

"Agent Romanoff."  
Natasha turned around. "Yes?"  
"I'm sorry. About the hellicarrier."  
"Don't worry about it, Dr. Banner."  
"Bruce, please."  
Natasha smiled. "Natasha."

She nodded to him once, before leaving and returning to the room Clint was in.

He was asleep when they entered, so Natasha carefully set Emmy on the bed and climbed in behind her.

"Lights out please, JARVIS." She whispered.

When the lights were out, Emmy snuggled closer to her father, and Clint-having woken slightly- hugged her to him before using the same arm to pull Natasha closer to him.

Natasha draped her arm across his waist, effectively sandwiching Emmy between the two of them.

"Good night, Clint."  
"'Night, Tasha."  
"Good night, Em."  
"'Night, Мама"  
"Good night, Em."  
"'Night, Папа."  
Natasha and Clint kissed Emmy and entwined their fingers. It was as close to kissing each other as they were going to risk, since both of them knew exactly where kissing would lead in their current state, and they didn't need Emmy to see _that_ part of their marriage.

"I love you, Tash."  
"I love you too, Clint."  
They all closed their eyes, leaving behind their pain and injuries in favor of the peacefulness of dreams.

* * *

**I think I'm just going to do the epilogue after this. But don't worry, I'll update my other stories soon, and I have a few ideas for new stories. So let me know if you want me to do something within this universe. And if there's something in particular you want me to write, tell me!  
Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Alright, here's the epilogue.**

**But first, a few thank yous:  
IaMcHrIsSi: Thank you so much for your input.  
Pati G W Black: I really like her too, although that might be because I wrote her…  
Ecila5827: Thank you! I was worried that people wouldn't like it.  
Malmal86: Thank you for your support on all my stories. Your words always make me feel good about myself and my writing.**

* * *

**Epilogue**

The following weeks passed relatively quickly. Emmy went to medical the next day and had her ankle fixed. She had inherited some of the things from the serum her mother had been given in the Red Room, so her ankle was healed in three weeks instead of the predicted 6 to 8.

Everyone had to be debriefed, including Emmy. It was a long process and involved a lot of repetition, and honestly, it bored the now 7-year-old out of her mind.

People gave Clint looks, either angry or mistrusting, but that stopped quickly, after Natasha learned about it.

_Flashback_

_She'd been in the training center about a week after the Manhattan incident when she overheard a SHIELD agent, and a rookie no less, make a remark about Clint being allowed back on the hellicarrier without being punished._

_"You." She snapped._

_The agent looked around before looking back toward her._

_"Yes, idiot, you."  
"What?"  
"Name?"  
"Kevin."  
"Kevin what?"  
"Kevin Johnson."  
"Do you know who I am?"  
"Agent Romanoff?"  
"Is that a question?"  
"No."  
"No what?"  
"No, ma'am."  
"Do you know my codename?"  
"B-black Widow."  
"Exactly. Do you know what Black Widows do?"  
"Kill, ma'am."  
"Exactly. Would you care to repeat what you've just said?"  
"No, ma'am."  
"That's too bad. Because if you don't I will shoot you in the head."  
The agent paled, but repeated his earlier words._

_"Is that really what you think?"  
"I'd refer not to answer, ma'am."  
Natasha chuckled. "Oh, you're a smart little boy. Tell me, how long have you worked here?"  
"3 months, ma'am."  
"Huh. And in that 3 months, how much interaction have you had with agent Barton?"  
"None, ma'am." Johnson mumbled.  
"I'm sorry? I couldn't hear you."  
"None, ma'am."  
"That's what I thought. Since you're new, I'll give you a bit of advice to spread to the other new agents." Natasha was in his face now, and if looks cold kill, he'd have been dead since their conversation started. "Never talk about a subject you know nothing about."_

_Apparently the agent wasn't as smart as he appeared, because he decided that that was the best time to speak. "But, ma'am, I know about this. Agent Barton killed many agents. He destroyed the hellicarrier. And he made a young child fight with him. And he wasn't punished for it. He was simply allowed back on board without any consequences. It sends a bad message to other agents, that it's ok to betray your country."  
Natasha's hand moved so quickly that the man had no chance to avoid it. The crack of flesh on flesh echoed throughout the gym. She was beyond livid now, and she was never more dangerous than when she was mad._

_"The next words that leave your mouth will be your last, do you understand?"  
The agent nodded._

_"Good. Now let me set you straight. Agent Barton didn't kill a single person. Loki forced him into everything he did, and despite fighting, there was nothing he could do. Loki is the reason agents are dead, not Agent Barton. As for destroying the hellicarrier, it appears to be floating to me, so it was clearly not destroyed. And how dare you bring our daughter into this? That's right, that little girl you mentioned is our daughter." The agent's eyes widened in shock. "Oh, shocked you have I? Yes, I'm married to Agent Barton, and yes we have a child. And no, he didn't force her to fight. She was supposed to stay here when we left, but she's persistent. She deliberately ignored her orders to stay out of sight. So rather than allow her to be on her own, and possibly get hurt worse, or even killed, we decided to place her with one of her parents, so she'd have some kind of protection. Still think it's a good idea to question my parenting?"  
At this point, Natasha had placed one of her many knives at his throat and was giving him her best scary look. He barely managed to shake his head without drawing blood._

_"Good. Oh, and you say he wasn't punished? Let me tell you something. One of his friends was killed, and he had to be the one to tell his wife and daughter. He had to look a 10-year-old in the eyes and tell her that her dad was never coming home, even though he'd promised to take her to Disneyland for her 11__th__ birthday. And you're worried about this setting a bad example for other agents? Well, when something goes completely shit for you- and it will, believe me- I'll make sure that everyone treats you exactly like how you think he should be treated, and you can see how you like it. So shut the fuck up about things you don't know anything about. And if I were you, I'd resign. Because otherwise, I'll make your life a living hell. And I won't get in trouble for it."  
With that, Natasha turned away and stormed from the training center. When she got to the door, she stopped and turned around and threw her knife toward the agent that was still standing where she'd left him. The knife sailed past his ear, leaving him mere centimeters from death._

_End Flashback_

Emmy was sitting in the nest above the training center, thinking over the confrontation she'd witnessed. Clint had been annoyed, but was thankful that the looks and whispers had stopped.

There was a noise behind her, and without looking Emmy knew her father had joined her.

"Hi."  
"Hi, Emmy."

Clint pulled her onto his lap, and she snuggled back into his chest allowing his arms to wrap around her.

They sat in silence for a few moments before Natasha joined them, sitting quietly next to Clint. Emmy reached out and grabbed her hand, smiling when Natasha squeezed it lightly.

"Em?" Natasha finally asked.  
"Yeah?"  
"Do you want to go on a vacation?"  
"Really? Fury's not giving you guys missions?"  
"Not for a couple months. He's demanding that all the Avengers take a two-month vacation, just so the media attention can blow over."  
"Where are we going?"  
Clint smiled at his daughter's agreement to the vacation. "Home."  
"We're staying here?" Emmy whined.  
"Not the apartment, Em. Home."  
Emmy's face lit up. "Really?"  
"Yeah. It's been almost a year since we were there last. And it's out of the way."  
"When are we leaving?"  
"In the morning."

Emmy smiled. She loved their home. It was in a small town in Colorado. It was small enough that everyone knew each other, but big enough that a family that only came once a year for a few months at a time wasn't very strange.

The family spent the rest of the day together in the nest, thinking over their own things.

Emmy was trying to figure out everything she'd need to bring, and everything she wanted to do in Colorado.  
Natasha was thinking about whether or not the nice elderly lady that lived a few doors down form their house would have any of her homemade apple butter when they arrived.  
Clint was thinking about how many books he'd be able to read on their downtime.

It was the first time in weeks that none of them were thinking about Manhattan. They weren't over it, but it was a step in the right direction.

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**Yay for it being done! I hope you guys all enjoyed the story.  
Remember, let me know if you want me to write another story with these characters, and leave any suggestions you may have for the story.  
Reviews are wonderful. You should write one. :)**


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